Macaroni and Cheese Soup

Ok, I'm kind of craving mac n cheese right now if you can tell. It's one of my favorite meals and home made mac n cheese is the most delicious thing on this planet to me. Now, I may love mac n cheese but I also love to try new types. This is one of my favorite recipes for mac n cheese! Hope you guys love it as much as I do.

Ingredients
Tomatoes:

• 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (see Tips)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry macaroni elbows
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. To roast the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 425F. 
2. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
3. Roast the tomatoes for 12 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let them cool at room temperature while you prepare the soup.
4. To prepare the soup, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 
5. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. 
6. Whisk in the flour, then slowly whisk in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. 
7. Add the macaroni and boil until it is almost tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. 
8. Stir in the cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and pepper. 
9. Add the cheese and continue to stir until completely melted. Bring the soup to a boil again for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove it from the heat.
10. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with the roasted tomatoes.

Tips for a great meal!

• Smaller cherry tomatoes or pear tomatoes work best for this recipe. Larger cherry tomatoes may need a slightly longer roasting time or you may wish to cut them in fourths.
• If you refrigerate leftovers, the pasta will have more of a chance to soak up the liquid in the soup, leaving you with a wonderfully creamy mac and cheese.
• Experiment with some other cheeses, such as Gruyere, Fontina, or smoked Gouda (or a combination).
• Because I am a crazed onion-lover, I added 1 medium onion, finely chopped, to the soup. I cooked it in the butter for about 3 minutes before adding the garlic, and then proceeded with the recipe.
• I swapped out white pepper for black pepper because that’s what I had on hand; the flecks could be seen in the soup, but it was still fantastic.